May 16 2007
Camera Position 50 : Messages From Your Website
What does your website say about who you are as a photographer? Does your site clearly define your goals or do you use your site’s pages as a dumping ground for every photograph you’ve ever made?
In this episode of Camera Position, I look at the way in which web pages can tell us whether our photographs - and what we tell the world about them- are on-target or missing the mark.
In addition to Kenna and Blackmon’s websites linked above, here are some other web resources for this podcast:
- PDN Online - Photo District News’ website
- PDN Photo Annual - The list of PDN’s “best of the best” for this year
- Jeff’s Website - My website’s homepage
- Evidence of Hands on Stone - My domain that points to my main project
I’ve listened (and watched) this podcast episode twice now and believe you have a great deal of important information and advice here. I hope people take it to heart.
I couldn’t help but feel that your comments were in some way a response to my own queries to you regarding my photographs and my somewhat haphazard approach to presenting them. The kind of clarity of thought and intention you advocate can a powerful construct for understanding one’s own goals. The kind of simplicity of approach is something I respond to and appreciate, but it doesn’t always come naturally to me. My natural tendency is to make things more complex than necessary rather than less.
I’m going to take the motivation you’ve evoked in me to create a free-standing website focused solely on this exhibition I’m preparing to be held at the Ethical Society of Saint Louis. I’m preparing my artist’s statement and bio now. I’m considering recording the Keynote presentation I’m going to be giving and offering it as a podcast.
We’ll see how all this plays out. Regardless, thank you Jeff for your inspiration and direction.
Andrew Raimist
Andrew… you only see yourself if you recognize yourself!
Actually, yours wasn’t the impetus, but there are lots and lots of photographers out there with websites that aren’t doing a very good job for them. This is because they are either trying to do too much all at once or not enough.
Best of luck to you in that show… let us know how it turns out!
-Jeff
Cool websites you found there… just beautiful stuff.
Guilty as charged here Jeff, though maybe not as guilty as some..
After giving this episode a couple of listens through, and making notes, I think I’m going to be spending a lot of time over the next week or so cleaning up my website, flickr and myspace in order to better present myself.. Its been something I’ve been meaning to do for a little while now but for some reason didn’t really rank it highly on my ‘to do’ list…
Anyway, thanks again for another great episode Jeff..
I just wanted to drop a note to let you know I really enjoyed this podcast Jeff. Although my own site has been up for 7 years or so, I can completely relate to the points that you talked about. I think it is really important for a photographer to consider the audience they are after, and the user experience of navigating around a site. People have such limited time as it is - it it really helps to show consideration for that.
I still have a few things that I have to tweak myself - a website is a continually growing plant that you need to feed, water, and talk to once in awhile.
oh, and thanks for introducing a couple of great photographers!
This is a little off-topic, but as it’s a compliment, I’m hoping you’ll let that slide.
What a jump in sound quality! Do you mind sharing how your setup changed to make this? I’m planning a podcast and I’m hoping that I can make it sound this good.
In re-listening to some of the previous Camera Position podcasts, you’ve had this great sound for a while now. I guess I got used to listening to your Photo History lecture podcasts where the sound is of course not as controlled.
Anyway, if you could offer tips in how you’re creating this I’d appreciate it. If you’ve discussed this before, a link would suffice.
Thanks for all the work you put into your podcasts! Your generosity is inspiring!
Thanks, Brad, for your comments about the sound. I have a pretty simple system, but it works. I have a Shure SM58 mic plugged into a Presonus “TubePre” mic preamp:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TubePRE/
I do a bit of tweaking in GarageBand (which is what I record with) but that’s pretty much it.
The last few Photo History podcasts should sound better than anything before because I’ve gotten a wireless lapel mic now and it’s mixed with a “classroom” mic in a mixer before going into the laptop. So at least my voice doesn’t fade away anymore when I wander away from the mic.
-Jeff
Jeff,
Thanks so much for your encouragement. I did create an online version of my exhibition and think it didn’t turn out too badly.
Hope you’re all ready for the fall semester.
I’m very pleased with the new sound you’ve got for Photo History. I enjoy being able to hear you clearly as well as your students when they ask questions or make comments. Very engaging and thought-provoking.
~ Andy
Andrew;
Glad you posted a link to the online version of your physical exhibit here on the blog… it’s great work and I hope a few folks visit from here.
I am all set for fall and have started classes this past week. It feels great to be back in the classroom and back talking to others about photography after a wonderful summer of *doing* photography. A new session of history classes has now started and the first podcast went up this week… and with new sound!
Thanks and have a great fall!
-Jeff